


Unorthodox

by memesaremypowersource



Series: Unorthodox [1]
Category: No Fandoms, Original Work
Genre: F/M, How Do I Tag, No Incest, No Smut, Not Beta Read, Regicide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:55:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23774197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/memesaremypowersource/pseuds/memesaremypowersource
Summary: "Why are you doing this?"She paused momentarily before smiling at him."Because you deserve it."
Series: Unorthodox [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1712659
Kudos: 1





	1. Hello! (Not a real chapter)

Hi Everybody!

So, I've been reading on AO3 for a really long time now, and I decided that I would put my story out into the world. I don't expect many people to read it, since it isn't associated with any fandoms, but to the people that do read it, hi! I love you and thank you so much for reading my story! I've been working on it for a very long time now and these characters are very near and dear to me. I hope they can be near and dear to you too.

If you love these characters as much as I do by the end of it, I am totally with people making spinoffs and stuff with my people, as long as you...tag me??? I really don't know how this account stuff works, I literally made mine like 20 minutes ago.

I'll probably only post on weekends, because even though we're all on lockdown, I still have school work (I'm homeschooled 😭)

So, with that all out the way, enjoy my brainchild of the past 5 years, Unorthodox!


	2. Chapter 1: It was October now

It was October now.

The people struggled now, more so than usual. Their bellies ached and growled for something, anything to quench this unbearable hunger. But their hearts ached for an empty chair and an empty king.

It was November now.

The king struggled now, more so than usual. His bed grew cold and hard, his eyes a direct parallel to it. His skin ached for the summer months, for their warm touches and unfailing optimism, but his mind ached for a reprieve.

It was December now.

The children struggled now, more so than usual. The cold seeped in through the cracks, chilling them to the bone. Their silk clothes did little to protect them from the freezing temperatures. They huddled together helplessly, shivering violently, desperately praying for salvation. Their bodies ached for warmth, but their souls ached for a father who was possibly colder than them.

It was January now.

The kingdom struggled now, more than ever. The warmth was coming of course, but people still doubted its existence. 

It was May now.

The flowers bloomed. The sun shone. Children squealed in excitement as birthdays arrived, and parents frantically prepared for them. The people smiled and laughed and radiated warmth as they walked. The king’s bed dipped and wrinkled, as did the skin around his eyes and mouth. The twins screamed and shouted joyously, no longer shivering helplessly next to a useless fire. The kingdom prospered now, their hunger and fears quenched.

But deep down

They were still cold.  
-*-*-*-*-

The heels of her shoes clicked loudly against the tile in the large, cathedral-style hallway. The urgency in her steps was clear and the servants quickly ducked into vacant rooms or hugged the wall in an attempt to dodge the fury in her eyes. She walked with purpose and confidence, not caring for the gossip this would surely stir. She tore through the hall and down the stairs, shawl and skirt flying behind her. The guards hurriedly opened the doors to her mother’s garden and she nodded politely as she passed them. Her eyes scanned the backyard before heading into the hedge maze that took up the majority of the space. She glided around the twists and turns of the maze. She knew this maze-like the back of her hand, so finding her way to the center was a breeze for her. No doubt was this sentiment shared by her brother.  
As she neared the center circle of the maze, she walked slowly and deliberately, taking care to keep her steps light and soundless. She heard talking, giggling, singing. She laughed quietly. Sorge had always been the better singer, but she doubted the woman of his affections cared at the moment. Slowly, she peeked around the walls of the entrance to the center and caught her brother’s eye. She squinted at him and rounded the corner fully, crossing her arms and standing expectantly, a smug smirk on her face. His lover, a kitchen servant, turned to follow his gaze and gasped. He stood and bowed deeply, careful to avoid her eyes

“Y-Your Highness! I-I didn’t realize”

She held up her hand and the kitchen boy closed his mouth and lowered his head. 

“You are forgiven, my dear. Please go inside now. I believe Master Tarren was searching for his favorite helper, Alwyn.” She smiled at him sweetly, and he pursed his lip in an embarrassed manner.

“Yes, Your Highness”

The kitchen boy scuttled past her, keeping his head low. She watched him go and saw her brother shift uncomfortably in her peripheral vision. As Alwyn exited the gardens, she turned her attention to her brother. He stopped shifting immediately, falling into a lazy posture. His smile turned easy and his shoulders relaxed. Her amusement bubbled inside of her, but she pushed it down. She inhaled deeply and exhaled, crossing her arms and cocking her hip to the side like a mother waiting for an explanation from her child, preparing to scold her brother.  
“Are you aware of what time it is?”

He put his hands on his hips and frowned slightly.

“Does it matter?”

“Yes. It does, actually,” She huffed angrily, “It very much so matters”

“Fine then, Sister. What time is it?”

“Well, Brother, it happens to be 12:15”

“And what, dear sister, does that have to do with anything?” He asks with a tinge of annoyance in his voice.

“Well, dear brother, today was a very important council meeting that began at noon. It has been delayed by 15 minutes now because I had to run across this entire castle searching for you!”

“So?”

“So? So, Dolios, those judgmental pricks that are often mistaken for wise old council members are waiting for the both of us to make our grand entrances”

She sighed before pinching the bridge of her nose and falling back into her posture, her face neutrally cold.

“Look, Dolios. I know you’re going to tell me that I shouldn’t care about their opinions of me, but I do. No matter what you think, those people in there are the deciding factor on who will be Conroy’s successor. ” 

She turned on her heel and walked out of the garden and back into the castle to an expectant and judgmental council, and away from the brother who had done nothing but love and protect her before he even knew how to protect himself.

-*-*-*-*-

He clenched his fists as she walked out. Running his fingers through his hair, he sighed and let his anger and frustration fade away with the wind. Like a river over stone. Flower petals floated past him, and he imagined his worries floating away on them, over the hedge wall and away into the world. Sorge was right, he realized after his rituals were completed.

The Decision of Succession was a rare ceremony in Aliera. When Dolios was younger, before he had realized his father wouldn’t love him, he had scoured through the castle library, thinking that maybe he just wasn’t smart enough. During his studies, he had read about his ancestors and their plight when Queen Amara and her twin sister, Princess Carys, were born. Both girls were first born, so the council had a difficult time deciding who would be the heir. A wiser council member, wiser than the ones now, decided that the people should vote on the next heir. After the votes were finished, the council would deliberate over the votes and decide themselves who would be a successor. The council decided this would be a great idea, to give the people of the kingdom the illusion of a choice in their future. 

He sighed, rising elegantly and exited through the little circular gardens archway. Walking through the main garden, he took in his surroundings. The dahlias were in bloom and the hedge walls sectioning off the different parts of the garden were littered with zinnias and peonies. Morning glories grew on vines that were constricting beams of wood angled over the walkway. Aster’s, forget-me-not’s, and false goats beards grew in pots and planters which were strategically placed to look as if they were submerged within the ground. He reached the garden opening. Sighing dramatically, he ran his fingers through his hair again, angling his head slightly and catching a glimpse into his mothers’ garden. It was open, from what he could tell, with pots and planters strewn about. No beams seemed to be hanging over the opening in the top, and he hesitantly turned his body and stepped forward. Surely he could spare a few minutes. He stepped through the archway and looked around. A tree stood in the corner, barking peeling and branches hanging limply. Dust flew through the air, and he childishly swatted at it. 

He tried to imagine what this area would have looked like filled out. Perhaps there would have been flowers in the planter in the corner-perhaps some black-eyed Susans. He had vague memories of this place, as well as his mother. Never memories. He had sounds and smells, fabric folds between his fingers. But never sight. His father had had all paintings and photos of her removed. At least, that was what he had heard. Kitchen gossip was surprisingly informative. He had been unconsciously moving forward, he realized, and he found himself standing in the middle of the garden. He angled his head sideways and caught sight of a slight rustle in the window overlooking the garden. 

His father’s window

Conroy was 65 now. Old. Wrinkled. Like a piece of paper written on and erased too many times. And just like that piece of paper, he had been discarded, carelessly tossed aside and left to decompose. He didn’t know his father either. All he had was stories and comparisons. Stories of chivalry and bravery. Tales of kindness and selflessness. Like a child wishing they were away from this world and in the next, he wished he could’ve been born in a different time, under different circumstances, with a different family. Instead, he was in this world, with a completely apathetic father and a sister hardened by the weight of a crown she had never asked for. Refocusing his gaze upon the window above, he noted the curtains hadn’t moved an inch. In his memories, he could never recall those curtains being opened or his father leaving that room. It wasn’t his actual room of course. It was his mother’s study, the place she went to write important documents and…letters? He turned abruptly, pushing the thought of responsibility and care from his mind and exiting his mother’s garden, continuing up the path towards the foreboding castle.

-*-*-*-*-

The meeting was long and boring, which was, honestly, to be expected. Her muscles ached, and by the look on his face, so did her brother’s. She straightened her back and faced forward again, focusing once more on what Lord Chamberlain was saying. Fortunately for her, his long-winded explanation on peasant trade deals had finally ended and she could move on. She glanced at her brother, who was waiting expectantly for her to begin, and sighed.

“As you are all aware, we had a bit of a delay today and for that I am deeply sorry. I am aware of the judgment this will pass upon me and I will do everything in my power to ensure delays like these do not become regular occurrences. With that being said, this meeting has been very productive, and I would like to thank the lords for attending a meeting so far away from their land.”

Lord Chamberlain huffed angrily at her comment, and Lord Gainsbury from glared at him menacingly. A low murmur swept across the table because of the ensuing stare down and she hesitated slightly, trying to figure out what to say next. 

She never really knew how to end these things

Fortunately, her brother-her charismatic, charming, lovable, brother-spoke for her

“On behalf of my sister and me, we wish you safe travels and prosperity in your futures. Until next time, my good men.” 

He bowed at the waist and she hastily curtsied after him. She watched as the men were escorted out the door one by one by the royal guards. Sighing slightly as the door closed, she walked around the table and plopped into one of the uncomfortable wooden chairs. Shifting around in the chair until she was comfortable, she propped her feet up on the table and closed her eyes. She heard shuffling and opened her eyes to see her brother mirroring her actions from across the table. They locked eyes for a few seconds before bursting into a ball of giggles and leaning over opposite sides of the chairs. She began steadily slipping out of her chair because of the odd angle, and before she could catch herself, she landed on the floor with a small squeak. Silence fell across the room before her brother roared with laughter, and she began giggling as well. She saw his boots shuffle around slightly from under the table and suddenly he was on his hands and knees, staring at her deviously. She giggled louder as he crawled under the table and pulled her to the middle by her ankles. 

“You’re getting your suit dirty!” She shrieked

“And you’re getting your dress dirty.” 

She laughed and hit him lightly on the calf. They were both sat cross-legged from each other now, hunched over uncomfortably beneath the table. Their eyes met and they started laughing once more. 

“D-Did you see the way L-Lord Gainsbury was looking at C-Chamberlain earlier?” 

She barely managed to get out her sentence between her giggles, and she exploded into a fit of laughter when she finished, falling sideways and curling inwards into the fetal position. 

“Oh geez, yes! He looked as if he was ready to jump the table!” 

He laid down next to her, arm extended upwards and legs curled so their knees were touching. He stared at her with a dreamy look, and she chuckled lightly. 

“What?”  
“Nothing! It’s just…”  
“It’s just what?”  
“It’s nice to see you smile again.”  
“I always smile!”  
“I mean a real smile. You haven’t laughed in so long” 

She smiled wider and he mirrored her. Laughing loudly, they found themselves content to stay under the table with each other, away from the demands of their positions.

But of course, fate had other plans

As their breathing evened out slowly, the doors to the meeting hall were suddenly flung open. They both flew up, banging their heads on the underside of the table simultaneously. Groggy and in pain, they scrambled out from under the table and fell into their posture on opposite sides of the table. Confusion overtook them for a moment, quickly followed by surprise and fear.

“Sorge? Dolios?”

“Here, Father”

Their father stood in the doorway, panting heavily and very much so underdressed. Hair a tangled mess and glasses askew, he looked far too disheveled to be seen in public. A few servants could be seen behind him, carrying clothes and hair care products, such as combs and oil. She waved them away hastily, and they backed away slowly, eyeing the king warily. He turned towards the twins and walked forward, grabbing their forearms and pulling them out of the meeting hall. The pair exchanged nervous glances before Dolios spoke

“Father, if you don’t mind my asking, where exactly are we going?”  
“Son, I do mind your asking. Now please, hush” 

The walk was silent after that. They stopped by his room for a moment however, where he left them with strict instructions to “wait here and don’t speak”. The twins stood awkwardly outside, made eye contact, and, remembering their earlier fun, giggled to each other softly. One of the bedroom doors banged open, and Dolios jumped back to avoid getting hit. Sorge looked over Conroy’s shoulder and paled at the glimpse she caught. Grabbing Dolios by the wrist, she pushed past Conroy’s broad form and stood in the center of the study.

A figure stood in front of the window, round and tall. Her long light brown hair was slightly wavy and pushed past the small of her back. Her yellow gown draped on the floor and as she turned, it turned with her, wrinkling slightly and smoothing out once more. Her smile was sickly sweet and freckles were splattered across her cheeks and nose. Her eyes were a bright, sparkling grey, youthful, and overflowing with warmth and love. Just like…

“Sorge! My lovely beautiful Sorge”

The woman moved towards her, cupping one cheek lovingly and stretching her right arm towards Dolios. Sorge lifted her hand to her cupped cheek, and Dolios took the outstretched hand.

“Mother?” the Royal Twins of The Kingdom of Aliera said in unison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count: 2636  
> So I've decided on an upload schedule (finally) and I'll be uploading every 7 days. So far I've plotted out about 15 chapters, so that puts me at an end date of June 18th. I hope you can all stick around until then!


	3. Chapter 2: The Calm

Sorge Elise Quinn, rightful ruler and protector of the Kingdom of Aliera, felt terrible. Her throat was dry and scratchy, head was pounding, and her eyes were dry and crusty. Groggily, she pushed herself off of her stomach and let the blankets slide off of her back as she sat back on her calves. Wincing at the sunlight streaming in through the windows on either side of her lavish bed, she pulled her hair out of its messed-up bun and let it fall into her face. Letting out a dry attempt at a sigh, she stretched across the bed for the full cup of water sitting on her bedside table and downed it all in one gulp, letting the cool water slide down her throat. Shaking her head one last time, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and padded over to her vanity table. Plopping down in her plushy chair, she examined her reflection.

Her skin, a light caramel color, was dry, with freckles smattered across the bridge of her nose and faintly across her cheeks. Her chestnut brown hair was stringy, greasy, and oily from being pulled back into her half-up, half-down ponytail. Humming softly, she started running the faucet in the middle of the vanity table, pumping her face soap onto her hands and rubbed it into her cheeks, forehead, and chin delicately. After washing off the soap, she lathered her face with a second scrub, washed it off, and rubbed in her moisturizer. After her skincare routine was over, she dripped a few eye drops in her eyes, blinking rapidly as her eyes watered. Her sink had filled with water by down, and the heat of it had cooled to a nice warm temperature. Sorge stood and leaned forward, letting her hair fall forward as she poured shampoo into her hand and rubbed it into her scalp. It was a Monday, meaning she wouldn’t wash her hair properly again until Wednesday. In the meantime, she would use hair oils regularly to prevent her hair from drying out too soon. Finishing off her hair, she drained the faucet and towel-dried her hair. There was a soft rapping on her door, and she smiled widely.  
“Come in.”  
She dipped behind the dressing screen as the door opened, and flipped the curtain in front of her mirror over the top.  
“How are you today, Akila?”  
“Fine, my lady.”  
Her maidservant sounded odd, like she was sick.  
“Akila, are you feeling ok?” Sorge asked as she slipped out of her pajamas and pulled her gray skirt over her head. It was a long skirt, vase-like with a small swirl at her mid-calf, exposing her left calf and hiding her right on. The bottom of the swirl ended at her right ankle, giving her an odd sort of tan that most women covered with balms that would even out their skin tone.

She heard the door open and close again, and, confused, peeked her head out from behind the screen.  
There was no one there.

She pulled the top of her outfit on quickly and stepped out from behind the screen. A hot breeze blew against her belly button and shoulders, drawing her attention to the open window next to her bed.

A flower vase sat in the window. Green carnations and gardenias were expertly woven with roses, sunflowers, and bright yellow tulips. She smiled happily at them and moved them to sit on her vanity as she moved back to the dressing screen. Turning her back to the mirror, she pulled the strings on the back of her cropped tank top tight and tied them together neatly, tucking them under the top expertly and swiftly. Turning back around, she smoothed her skirt out and pulled the top taught. She moved the dressing screen until it was scrunched back up, like an accordion. Her hair brushed against her shoulder blades, tickling her neck and causing her to pull it over her shoulder. She sat back down at her vanity table just as her door opened again.

Akila stepped into the room, quietly and nimbly closing the door behind her. She did a double-take once she looked at Sorge through the mirror, smiling at her softly.

“I’m surprised you’re up so early,” she chuckled, “it's only 6 am”

“But it’s already so warm!” Sorge whined, “I thought it was at least 8”

Akila shrugged, “The world is changing, my dear.” She said solemnly as she walked towards her. Akila pulled Sorge’s hair back into her signature hairstyle and smoothing it down. She tied it up and let it fall, grabbing for her circlet and placing it on her head. The shiny purple jewel shone brightly in the sunlight, resting on her forehead and clashing with her dull grey eyes. “Who brought the flowers?”

“Who do you think?”

Akila shook her head. “We need to do something about him.”  
“We?”  
“Yes, we. You think this is the thing I’m leaving you alone about?”  
Sorge huffed playfully as she stood up from her chair and threw her deep purple shawl over her shoulders, waiting for Akila to button it up in the back.

“Tell me what I need to do today, Akila.”

Akila moved forward and began buttoning up the shawl, starting at the bottom.  
“Well, you have a council meeting at about 8 tonight. Before that, is dinner with your brother and His Majesty the King, and before that is paperwork with Lord and Lady Gainsbury. They requested about an hour of your time last week, which was scheduled for today.”

“Why do you always start things backward, Akila?”

Akila smirked at Sorge through the mirror before continuing.

“Before that though you have a few hours of free time-“

“SO glad I finished school last year”

“In which you promised me that you would go over my letter.”

“Why don’t you just talk to him, Akila!?”

“You know that isn’t easy for me.”

“At least you’ll send it this time, right?”

Akila was silent.

“Akila?!”

“At 7 am, you have a meeting with the King and Dolios.”  
“A meeting? I don’t remember scheduling that one”

“It was only scheduled yesterday, Sorge.”

“Well did I tell you what it was about?”

“You mentioned something about your mother, I believe. I wasn’t listening”

-*-*-*-*-

Dolios tapped his foot impatiently outside of the meeting room. Conroy and his mother sat inside talking amongst themselves, waiting for Sorge to arrive so they could start their meeting. He checked his watch again. 7:15. Huffing loudly, he peeked through the crack in the large mahogany doors into the private meeting room.

It was a well-lit room, with the curtains open and sunlight streaming through the large arched windows in the middle of the wall. Two bookshelves stood on either side of the deep red curtains and framed the large, red, plush chairs that his mother and father sat in. They both sat facing each other, knees, and arms mirroring each other. They were chattering loudly and excitedly, Alueue relaying her life after abandoning her family and Conroy listening eagerly.

It was as if he didn’t even remember what she’d done to him. To them all.

Loud pattering drew his attention away from the scene and towards the hallway. His sister was running towards him, out of breath. Akila was sprinting right behind her, not out of breath, which was honestly sending some mixed signals his way. She stopped in front of him and bent over halfway, catching her breath as Akila waited patiently for Sorge to stand back up.

“How late did you wake up this time?” He asked, crossing his arms and smirking knowingly.

She stuck her tongue out at him as she pulled a mascara and eyeliner duo and stepped around him towards the mirror on the wall behind him. He made eye contact with Akila, and, for once, froze.  
Ever since she’d become Sorge’s maidservant a few years back, Dolios had counted the days until he would confess his feelings. So far it had been 2769 days. Close to 8 years of living with the woman of his dreams. Of passing by her every day, harboring his enormous love for her and tackling it into jars. Lately, it had been harder for him to keep his emotions under control. To combat this, he’d been attempting to distract himself with other lovers, hoping, wishing, praying, that his love for Akila would go away. That he would find his soulmate in the confined, busy, urbanized city of Aliera.

He was a fool of course.

Now here he stood, Akila across from him, distracted and peeking through the mahogany doors like he had been a few moments earlier. She was stunning in the early morning sunlight filtering through the windows, pale skin shimmering and reflecting. Her shiny black hair was pulled into a tight bun, that when inspected closer was a braid wound tightly around itself, stray hairs neatly and expertly pinned into the hair. Her blue shawl that was wrapped around her shoulders complemented her cyan eyes, framed by the black round glasses that were connected by a string of beads. Her gray dress was the same color as Sorge’s, only with a fully formed bottom instead of a vase-like one. It was long too, ending just at the tops of her. She wore tiny flats, a dark oceanic blue that provided a pop of color against her otherwise ivory skin.

She turned back to him and smiled, a small, polite smile, and his pulse quickened as he was caught dumbfounded by how her smile caused the wrinkles against her skin, framing her thin round nose. Her almond-shaped eyes crinkled on the edges slightly, shifting the looser hairs framing her forehead slightly. She was shorter than him, around his shoulders. His pulse quickened slightly at her smile, heart racing as he fumbled for something to say.

Sorge touched his shoulder at that point and winked at Akila, eyeliner expertly winged.  
“Alright, Akila. I’ll meet you in the courtyard when we’re finished, ‘kay?” she said, stuffing the eyeliner mascara pen back in her pockets, “See you in a couple of hours”

Akila waved timidly and walked off down the hall. Dolios followed her with his eyes and cursed himself for being so weird around her.

“Hey, Sorge?”

“Yeah, dumbass?”

“How tall is Akila?”

“Hell if I know”

“Do you ever shut up?”

Sorge smiled goofily at him and elbowed him in the ribs.

“You ready for the reckoning?”

-*-*-*-*-

Akila was sitting in the forest just outside of Aliera, shoes kicked off and dress tied in a small not around her knees. Her glasses had been taken off and placed on her transparent shawl and she had let her hair out of its bun, long braid coiled on the grassy opening she sat in. Sorge had said it would take about 3 hours for the meeting. It was ethereal, a tiny plain that she had discovered not long after arriving at Aliera. Large oak trees encircled the plain, with a tiny brook pooling into a mini pond in the middle of the circle. Sunlight hit the ground with a green hue, filtering through the thick leaves enough to not make it too hot in the mid-summer morning. Only a few other people knew about this place, and they rarely ever joined her here, allowing the natural flowers and animals to exist largely undisturbed. It was a little peaceful secret. She hadn’t told anyone she was coming here, beyond leaving a note in Sorge’s room. She was falling asleep quickly, guard down, and completely relaxed.

The sun had just barely began to warm her shoulders when she heard someone walking around in the surrounding forest, loudly crunching on the leaves and branches on the floor. Akila grabbed her glasses and shoved them roughly on to her face, blinking rapidly so her eyes would adjust.

A knight eventually walked into the clearing, awkwardly maneuvering in their bulky chainmail and armor. He stopped and looked at her and cocked his head to the right before pulling it off of his head and launching at her face in one quick motion.

She batted it away before it could hit her, causing it to land in the pond and splash her feet slightly. She barely had time to react before she was being shoved to the ground, metal arms wrapped around her midriff and jabbing through her thin shirt and into her stomach. She struggled and kicked relentlessly, jamming her heels into any exposed skin they could find while simultaneously pushing against the arms, before she was thrown to the ground and someone began pulling her across the ground by her braid. She clawed desperately at the braid as she was dragged out the clearing and hauled roughly across tree roots and through the mud. She screamed, loud and shrill and the scream bounced off of the willows around her and scared away the birds from their nests. She screamed louder before she was swung around by her braid and into a different clearing. She tried to take in as many details as possible, in hopes that if she left-no, when she left she could successfully relay the details to Sorge. It was a darker area, more overgrown. There was a lake in the corner under a small mountain of rocks that moved into an opening of a cave. The trees were denser, with only one entrance into the clearing. These were the only details she could manage before she pulled up roughly by the front of her shirt and made to face her captor.

He wore a black stretch fabric covering. It wrapped from the top of his eyes around his head to the bridge of his nose, leaving his glowing yellow eyes exposed. They had a hint of brown underneath them, like fish bobbing to the surface of an ocean. He was examining her face, taking in her features. Preoccupied with staring at her, she figured he wouldn’t notice her raising her hand and jamming two fingers into his eyes.

She was right.

He yelled loudly, releasing his grip on her shirt and dropping her to the ground. She stumbled forward off of her knees and took a running start, making note of the glass shards scattered on the floor and clutched one in her hand before taking off through the opening. Her braid was grabbed again and her head was jerked back roughly. Her braid was very long, ending in the middle of the thighs, and it had taken close to 7 years to grow to the 40 inches it was at. She was proud of her hair. It was shiny and soft, slightly wavy from years of braiding and the source of her pride and joy.

She raised the glass shared, pulled it through her hair, and fell on her back, catching a glimpse of her shorn braid in her kidnappers' hand. Tears welling in her eyes, she took advantage of his shock and burst off into the forest.

The summer breeze felt good on her back, but she wasn’t focused on that. She didn’t know how far he had dragged her away from her clearing and she was trying to gather herself as best as she could. She could hear his clunky, awkward footsteps as he tried to follow after her, and she pushed herself harder. Akila wasn’t tired-she was used to this. The only thing catching her off guard was the unfamiliar territory, but she had trained for this. She was nimble, and hopped over exposed tree roots and rocks expertly, following a nearby stream. Her follower’s footsteps grew fainter, until she couldn’t hear anything but the birds. She was still was wary, however, and kept running.  
Past the clearing.  
Over the stream.  
Through the gates.  
Up the stairs.  
Down the hall  
Through the door.  
Stop.

-*-*-*-*-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so it's been a while huh. Promise I'll actually follow a schedule lol. It would actually be kinda awesome if y'all would comment tings like constructive criticism 👌👌👌👌. Also, there's this song I wanted to share with y'all https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S4twzSYc8s&list=PLe3ot_dHTVGoOjV07ZWgXYAp-_50tC_k8&index=5&t=0s it's really good I was listening to it while I was writing this I promise its not a rickroll ok see you next time BYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE


	4. Chapter 3: The Storm

Akila stood in her room. Not the one she shared with Sorge, but her private room. It was small and cramped, sparsely decorated and well-lit. She rarely stayed here, only on the days when Sorge wanted a few nights to herself. She took a cautious step forward, before slamming the door closed and began examining her raked up back in her cracked vanity mirror. Torn shreds of fabric hung limply, and open wounds welled with blood. They would scar over once healed, but would probably fade in a couple of years. She painfully tugged off her tank top (it was so tight!), and grabbed her healing salve, opening it up and doing her best to rub it gently over her wounds. It was cold, and stung her cuts sharply. She winced, stopping, and squeezing her eyes shut, as she waited for the pain to dissolve. The air of the underground blew through her room and bounced off of the stone walls. Her skirt brushed against her ankles and her untidily cut hair blew in a multitude of places against her back and shoulders. She took her glasses off and sat down on her bed. Her hair fell forward, and she stared at it for a few minutes before tears rolled down her cheeks. The adrenaline had finally worn off, and she allowed herself to fully grasp what had just happened to her.

She sobbed for a little bit, self-pity welling inside of her. She knew it was silly to be so heartbroken over hair, but she kept crying anyways. She cried and cried and felt a little bit like Alice, sure that if she kept crying her room would flood and she would have to swim her way out through the keyhole. She sniffled and wiped her cheeks, pulling herself together and looking at her mirror again.

Akila could easily hide the cuts on her back. The hair was her biggest problem. She could make and excuse to her acquaintances around the castle-it was summer after all, supposedly the hottest one yet. It was perfectly plausible for her to have cut her hair. Sorge though…  
Sorge would notice.  
She pulled open her rotting wooden drawer and pulled out her scissors. They were craft scissors, not meant for hair cutting. She didn’t know how to cut straight hair. Curly hair was different. It was easy to chop off overgrowth, more room for mistake. Straight hair was a different territory. Akila pulled the longer end of the hair taut and placed the scissors on the edge of it, trying to gauge where she should cut it. She put the scissors to the side of the hair and screwed her eyes shut.  
A piercing knock made her put the scissors down in relief, and grabbed her opaque shawl, tying it around her midriff and leaving her shoulders bare.  
“Who is it?”  
“Your most favoritist brother in the whole wide world!”

-*-*-*-*-  
“So…are you going to tell me what this is all about or leave me in unjust silence?”

Akila smiled and sat in the rickety bed in front of Aganee, looking at him through the floor-length vanity.

“Unjust silence it is”

He pulled a small pouch out of his brown pants pockets and pulled it open rummaging around and pulling out a pair of hair cutting scissors.

“How short do you want it?”

“How short is it now?”

She studied Aganee’s face through the mirror as he gauged the length, holding his hand against her shoulder blades. He had a dark complexion, like an oak tree in a shaded grove. Like an oak tree in her shaded grove. She blinked rapidly and met her brother’s eyes through the mirror.

“Maybe cut it to my chin”

He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Your chin? Really?”

“Yeah, why not. It is getting hotter, and you know I run hot.”

She saw him shrug in the mirror and felt him cut the hair on her left. It was closer to her mid-back on her left than her right, and the soft clipping of the hair scissors soothed her mind.  
She studied him closer in the mirror as he worked, tongue tip sticking out through tan lips. His deep brown, curly hair sat in a short afro on top of his head. It was getting long, longer than it had been the last time they had sat down together. When was the last time they had sat down together? The last few days had been hectic for both of them, with Aganee being trained in his new job as a Knight Leader and Akila running around with Sorge. Before that it was lockdowns and before that the Queen’s crown went missing and before that... Before that was a blur. A blur of work and work and work. A blur of no time left in the day for sitting, no time left in the day for resting your feet and letting hair loose, no time left for eating, or for changing, or for sleeping most days. Today was the first day she’d gotten off in…in almost two months now. Today must’ve been the first-day Aganee got off as well. The first day he could strip off his bulky, hot armor and take a proper shower. The first day he could take a nice, long bath; the first day he could soothe overworked, sore muscles and nap heavily in the early summer morning.

“I was attacked.”

The snipping stopped. She could feel the scissors wavering against her bareback, cold metal meeting with hot, pulsating skin.

“Attacked by who?”  
“I don’t know, I didn’t see them-“  
“What do you mean you didn’t see them how could you not see them?”  
“Because I didn’t have my glasses, Aganee”  
“Why didn’t you have your glasse-“  
“Because I was asleep?!”  
“Where were you sleeping? Why weren’t you sleeping here in the castle? What’s wrong with the castle?”  
“Because maybe I wanted to sleep somewhere peaceful for once, Aganee!”  
“Ok. Ok, I get that. Fine. Fine. But even if you didn’t have your glasses on you must have been able to make something out. What color was his hair? Was he tall or short?”  
“I don’t know what he looked like, Aganee. He was wearing a uniform and had some baklava over his face.”  
“What color was he wearing? Did he had anything on him that you could identify?”  
“I don’t know I don’t know I don-“  
“Think, Akila!”  
They were facing each other now and he was gripping her upper arms. She looked him in the eyes and found fear; fear and concern because of everything that had happened  
“Akila. Akila, please. I need you to think long and hard. I need you to remember anything about him, anything at all.”  
His voice cut through her thoughts, chestnut eyes boring through the top of her head.  
“His eyes, they were…yellow? Yeah, yellow. A really, really bright yellow. They…they shone, Aganee. And...And I could…I could feel this warmth on my face. His eyes were so big, Aganee. And so, so bright.”  
-*-*-*-*-  
Aganee was, frankly, a little bit concerned.  
First, his best friend came by his room early in the morning and had told him he had the day off. Aganee had protested, obviously, but Dolios was firm. He wasn’t allowed to train that day.  
He decided he’d visit his baby sister after he was finished with his chores. He shows up, and she’s scratched up, hair cut, and normally clean, pressed clothes ripped and dirty. He hadn’t wanted to push her about it, and she’d kicked him out after she told him about the man.  
He was on edge after that. Akila had been attacked, and he was pretty sure a knight of his had done so. He wanted to talk to Sorge about it, see what she could do. It was pretty late in the day by then, so he stopped by the gardener and asked him for some carnations and tulips. He had given him a strange look as he put together the bouquet and tied it with a purple ribbon. Aganee was careful about telling him about who they were for.  
“Just Akila, Toby. She asked me to grab her some.”  
“Your sister, huh? Your real sister?”  
“I mean…not technically. But I mean, she’s always been there.”  
“Ah, I see. Well, tell her I said hi, will you?”

The hallways leading to Sorge’s room were mostly empty. He walked softly towards her door and knocked gently on the wood, waiting for an answer. It creaked open timidly, and her gray eyes peeked out at him. He loved her eyes. They reminded him of the color of trees after a fire, ashy and pale. He smiled at her and she opened the door wide enough to let him in. He slipped in and pushed the flowers towards her excitedly.  
“Well, hello to you too, love”  
She took the flowers in one hand and wrapped her other arm around his neck, pecking him on the cheek as she hugged him.  
“What, just a tiny peck after 3 days?”  
He held her in place by her waist and she smiled as he leaned forward. They stayed like that for a few seconds and he was over the moon. He studied her as she moved away to find a vase for the bouquet. Her light brown hair was pulled into a low, tight bun, and she wore a thin white nightgown. He was immediately aware of the pressing heat in the room, and slipped off his overcoat, laying it over a chair back. Sorge came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She was only a head shorter than him, so he felt her forehead pressing in the space between his shoulder blades. He chuckled softly and put his hands on hers. Her nails were painted a lilac purple, which complimented her soft caramel skin tone. He turned his arm behind him and pulled Sorge around by her back, dipping her romantically. She laughed, a clear, musical laugh, and he was overjoyed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes, seemingly at ease. He picked her up, one arm wrapped around her legs and the other around her back. She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck and squealed at the sudden movement as he threw her on the soft comforter and plopped down next to her roughly. She turned towards him, and his heart skipped a beat. God, he loved her so much.

“So?”  
“So.”  
“Sooooo… I need to talk to you”  
A look of concern immediately replaced the smile on her face and she sat up on her elbows.  
“About what? Is something wrong?”  
“I-yeah. Something is wrong,” Aganee said as he sat up, “Akila was attacked earlier today, and I think it was one of my men.”  
Sorge threw her legs over the side of the bed and walked towards her open window, sliding it shut quietly. “What makes you say that?”  
“I don’t know,” he said as he looked at his hands, “It’s just…Adrien didn’t show up for training today and…and I saw him on the way to Akila’s room. He looked…well he looked bad. He was super pale and shaking and I don’t know. Maybe I’m reading too much into things.”  
“No no,” Sorge said from behind her wardrobe door, “I believe you. Could you come over here so I can hear you better though?”  
She was obscured by the thick mahogany door, so Aganee shifted himself off of the comforter and walked towards her.  
“I’m just concerned for Akila. You’re her only friend here. I just don’t want her to be isolated. Maybe it’s just sibling instinct.”  
He rounded the corner and saw that Sorge was waiting for him there. She placed her hands on either of his shoulders and smiled at him.  
“I know exactly how you feel.”  
He sighed and smiled back at her, placing his hands on her waist and looking at her lovingly.  
“Thanks, Sorge.”  
He leaned down to kiss her again, but she pushed past his face and put her lips to his ear.  
“Run please go”  
Aganee pulled back and looked at her, shocked and confused.  
“What?”  
Sorge sighed and pulled away from him, turning back to her closet.  
“I didn’t want it to be like this, Aganee.”  
“Sorge?”  
She turned around to him suddenly, and he felt cool wind slash across his face. He automatically put his hand to his hip, feeling for the hilt of his sword.  
He’d left it in his room.  
Sorge lunged at him again, and he barely had time to think as the dagger made contact, slashing his shirt open and leaving his chest exposed. He scrambled across the room, searching for something to retaliate with. Sorge was quicker though and grabbed at his forearm to pull him forward. He yanked back, hard, and she fell onto the concrete floor with a screech. The dagger slid across the floor and under Sorge’s bed.  
“Sorge, what the hell?!”  
“God damn it, Aganee, stay STILL”  
She pulled herself up by the bed and ran for him again. Aganee tried dodging her by moving backward, but bumped into the room divider. He felt her hand grab his curls and tug him hard to the left; he grabbed her hair as well and yanked her to the right opposite him. They were at a standstill now, both keeping the other at arm’s length.  
Sorge tried clawing at him with her other hand, but he tugged her head as far as he could manage away from him.  
“Ok. Ok ok ok ok ok. What the hell, Sorge. What the hell is going on?”  
She didn’t answer him, instead of gritting her teeth and tugging his head harder.  
“Sorge, stop it. I don’t want to hurt you.”  
“Well, I want to hurt you.”  
That caught him off guard and his grip relaxed slightly  
“You do?”  
She yanked him forward by his hair and he put his hands out to break his fall to the concrete beside her. He knocked his chin against the floor, and dazedly tried getting up again. He could see Sorge in front of him, walking towards the flower vase she had set down earlier.  
“Shame you know. These flowers were really pretty.”  
She pulled the flowers out of the vase and threw them on the dining table as she walked towards the washbasin in the corner of the room. Dumping the water into the empty tub, she smashed the vase against the metal side, spilling glass into the dirty water.  
“I really didn’t want to kill you, Aganee. Honest.”  
She walked across the room towards him and pushed him on his back with her foot.  
“Sorge tried to fight me.”  
She stood over him, glass vase in hand, yellow eyes shining wildly. Aganee slid his hand under the bed, searching for the knife from earlier.  
Yellow  
“But she couldn’t stop me forever.”  
She raised the glass, aiming for the center of his chest.  
He finally found the handle of the knife and grabbed it, pulling it out and stabbing it into Sorge’s calf.  
She shrieked in agony and crumpled to the floor, dropping the vase. Aganee scrambled backward and pulled himself up by the table. He ran around it and made for the door.  
He felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder and grasped at Sorge’s forearm as it slipped around his neck. She twisted the knife in his shoulder, and his vision went blurry from the pain. He stumbled backward and tripped on Sorge’s injured leg. He slammed into the floor, hard, and Sorge let out a loud gasp in his ear. He rolled off of her and stared.  
She was gasping on the floor, and he knew he had knocked the wind out of her. The knife was still in his shoulder, and he pulled it out, quickly with a small cry.  
“Sorge…I’m so sorry”  
She stared at him, eyes back to her normal gray. Her eyes shimmered with tears, and she mouthed words at him.  
He was wary to get close to her, so he bent down marginally, holding his hair back with his left hand.  
“Please….leave”  
She didn’t need to say it twice.  
-*-*-*-*-  
“Akila!”  
Dolios pounded on her wooden door frame, leaving bloodstains on the mahogany wood.  
“Akila please!”  
The door opened on his 7th knock, and she poked her head out at him  
“Prince? What’s wrong?”  
“Can I come in?”  
“Um, sure.”  
Akila opened the door wider and allowed him to slip in.  
“What’s wrong, prince?”  
“I…we need to leave. Right now”  
“What?”  
Dolios turned back towards her and noticed she was wearing just her dress, no shawl. He was aware of the scares lacing her shoulder, but he didn’t have time to worry about that.  
“Look, I’ll explain everything on our way out. But long story short, Sorge attacked me earlier today and I just woke up. There was a note that said that I needed to leave if I wanted to stay alive, so I did.”

“But why did you come get me?”  
“Because…look we’ll talk later ok. Just please pack some things we need to go.”  
“Well, what about Aganee am I supposed to just leave him here? And what if I don’t want to go?”  
“What do you mean you don’t want to go? I just explained to you why we should technically already be gone.”  
“No, you explained why you should be already gone.”  
Akila sat down defiantly on her bed and crossed her arms.  
“I am not going anywhere.”  
“Akila please I will get on my knees if I have too please-”  
A knock at the door cut him off. Akila stood, pushed past Dolios, and opened the door.  
“Oh Jeez!”  
“Aganee!”  
Aganee was stood in the doorway, holding his arm to his side and chest bloody.  
“Akila, we need to go. Now.”  
“Ok ok just give me a sec.”  
She made to go towards him, but he pushed her away.  
“No, not right now. Just pack some things so we can go.”  
“Ok”  
Akila turned and pulled an old sports bag out from under her bed and beat it a few times, allowing dust particles to fly through the air.  
“What do we need?”  
“Well, I packed some food and water into a cart before I came to get you,” Dolios said, “It’s enough to last at least 2 months.”  
“2 months for 2 people?”  
“Well yeah, so I guess maybe a month for the three of us.”  
“I’ll go see to the cart, make sure it’s alright,” Aganee said, pushing himself off of the doorway.  
“It’s on the edge of the garden, and it’s covered. There are horses already attached, and some swords under the seats. Can you still use them?”  
“I could use them with both hands tied behind my back.”  
They both smiled and Aganee walked quietly.  
“Ok, I’ve got scarves, blankets, and things to make a fire with,” Akila said as Dolios turned to face her.  
“You keep all of that in here?”  
“Oh yeah. Just give me a few more minutes.”  
She pulled open a second drawer and threw out random trinkets-thimbles, bottle caps, buttons, seashells-and pulled up a false bottom. He watched as she pulled out thin items. First, a silver necklace with a delicate, golden locket on the end. Next, a pile of photos that she wrapped in a scarf and laid gently on top. Finally, she pulled a yellowed envelope with the seal broken.  
“It was my fathers. My real fathers. It was the only thing left after the fire.”  
He nodded sympathetically and waited for her.  
“Ok, let’s go,” she said as she grabbed her shawl and threw it over her shoulders loosely.  
They peeked out the doorway, keeping watch for anyone who might be coming their way. Gradually, they made their way up the stairs and out the door, where Aganee was waiting for them, half-asleep in the driver’s seat.  
“Scoot over, dude. I’ll drive. You sit in the back and let Akila help you”  
There wasn’t much she could do though. Aganee wouldn’t let them light any lanterns until they were well away from the kingdom and into the forest. She made him strip his shirt off and pulled out the knife agonizingly slowly, taking care not to twist it.  
“Well, that’s the best I can do for now,” She said as he clambered over the barrier and into the middle seat next to Dolios. “Where are we going exactly?”  
“There’s this old house that my family used to go to before everything. It hasn’t been used in forever.”  
“What about people who are there temporarily?”  
“Nah, it’s so deep in here, I doubt anyone would find it without a map.”  
“What about us?”  
Dolios tapped the side of his head and smiled at her  
“I think my mom liked the solitude. She was royal all her life, so you’d think she’d be used to the noise, but I guess not”  
“Some people just aren’t cut out for that kind of life, born or not.”

“Do you think you are?”  
“Oh, I don’t know. I enjoy working behind the scenes usually, but I guess it would be nice to tell people what to do.”  
“Mm, maybe. I never really cared for it though. I’d rather just live in the mountains”  
“Off of what, your talents and skills?”  
“Well maybe not. The twins who don’t become the ruler usually get some money and are told to fuck off. Figured I’d live off of that”

“What changed?”  
“People, circumstances…feelings.”  
“Oh.”  
They were quiet for a while after this.  
“Did you cut your hair?” he said at last.  
“Oh yeah, I did. It was a spur of the moment thing, y’ know?”  
“Yeah, I do. I just never thought I’d see the day where you’re hair got properly cut.”  
“Oh, piss off”  
He chuckled at her light shove.  
“It’s almost morning,” she said, looking at the fading stars overhead.  
“Yeah huh. The cottage is just up ahead.”  
“Oo, tell me about it.”  
“Well, it’s overlooking a lake for starters. It’s all one room, but there’s a loft overhead and three beds. Sorge and I used to sleep up there and look through the skylight for Orion. She would chase me around with spiders until one of our parents got up. We always ended up sleeping with them. There’s a fenced area off of the side, facing the forest. It was reserved for my mother’s garden.”  
“What did she grow there?”  
“Oh, the usual things-tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplants. She had a few sunflowers there too, I think.”  
“Sounds lovely”  
“It was.”  
-*-*-*-*-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody! Me again. It's currently 12:33 am and I just wanted to say thank you; I noticed I got 16 hits when I was uploading this chapter, and I even got a kudos!! Yay! Again, thank you guys so much, sorry for the long wait, but in a very strange way, now that school is starting back up, I might actually write more. Who knows? Adios!!


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